LIVERPOOL will become a centre of excellence for tackling rogue traders under government plans announced today.

Cowboy builders, dodgy door-to-door salesmen and prize draw rip-offs will all be targeted by the £825,000 “scambusters” team.

The specialist unit will work with councils and police forces across the north west to crackdown on con artists.

Four or five investigators, a project manager and a regional intelligence officer are likely to work from the Liverpool base for at least the next three years.

Announcing the cash, consumer affairs minister Gareth Thomas MP said: “Rogue traders who con honest people out of their hard-earned money are a disgrace.

“This new unit will help shut these conmen down and bring them to justice.”

Normally, trading standards teams can only operate within their own council boundaries, making it difficult to catch larger-scale rogue traders.

The new unit will work alongside existing departments, but will not deal with day-to-day trading standards jobs.

Cllr Berni Turner, Liverpool’s executive member for the environment, said: “Our trading standards department is extremely successful in cracking down on rogue traders and dealing with serious issues such as counterfeiting.Š

“This new team will mean we can work with other councils and effectively target those con artists who trade illegally across the region and make people’s lives a misery.”